By The Way
by Prone To Obsession
Summary: Did he mention it also travels in time?  A story about the seconds between when the Doctor left Rose and Mickey, and when he came back to ask her a second time.


**Author's Note: I've been rewatching Series 1, and something struck me for the first time while I was watching Rose. It's made pretty clear that the Doctor had recently regenerated (based on his comments when he sees his reflection in Rose's flat). But there were at least three trips he made (from the pictures Clive shows Rose) where Rose was nowhere to be seen. Granted, she could have been off doing her own thing. But I thought...what if...**

**Oh, and P.S., yes, that is a blatant Red Dwarf reference there in the middle.**

**Disclaimer: Nah, I don't own anything. But that's okay. Because you don't need to own the Whoniverse, just see it.**

"Unless...I dunno, you could come with me." He had been alone so long. Well, not alone, exactly. In war, one was never alone. But being surrounded by enemies and fellow soldiers wasn't the same as traveling the universe with a good companion at your side. He needed someone. _He needed her_. "This box isn't just a London Hopper, you know. Goes anywhere in the universe, free of charge." As her boyfriend protested, he added, quickly, "He's _not_ invited. What do you think?" She hesitated. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had to _sell_ someone on the idea of traveling with him. Shouldn't his pride be kicking in about now? But no, he was just rattling on, "You could stay here, and fill your life with work and food and sleep, or you could go, anywhere."

She turned him down.

She chose food and work and sleep. She chose her idiot boyfriend. He stood there, stupidly, for a moment—just a moment, because he still had some pride. So he said, "Okay. See ya around," and he stepped backwards to close the TARDIS door.

He didn't need her. Why had he so desperately thought he needed her, this insignificant human girl? He had regenerated so recently; he wasn't thinking straight; he was still getting used to the new body, new mind, new emotions. She was just some random girl. He would be fine on his own, he thought as he set some (fairly) random coordinates.

April, 1912. He wasn't quite ready to leave Earth yet; it was the closest thing he had to a home, now. He met a nice family in South Hampton. Saved them from a rogue Hoix, nothing too dangerous. When he warned them about their pending trip on the Titanic, they looked like they wanted to believe him. But they had to know, the same way everyone always needs to know. When they asked him who he was, though, he heard a different voice in his head. Some random girl, who he definitely didn't need. _Really, though Doctor, tell me, who are you?_

He traveled to Krakatoa, 1883. He had been aiming for Java, 1886. Instead of brilliant human scientists making strides in evolutionary research, he found only death. And the worst of it was, he couldn't do anything about it. That explosion was a fixed point; no changing it, no saving the day. He heard that voice again. _You can't just go swanning off_. "This is me," he thought grimly, "Swanning off."

Dallas. 22 November, 1963. For some reason, he was in a morbid mood. And he had always meant to find out who the second gunman was. Long story short, it was JFK himself hidden up on the grassy knoll—brilliant way to keep the conspiracy nutters occupied, he thought, smiling to himself as he walked back to the TARDIS. In the back of his mind, he heard her voice, chastising him for his callous attitude towards death. _I'll have to tell his mother he's dead and you just went and forgot him again!_ _You were right, you are alien._

He stopped in the middle of the street. His hands fell limply at his side and his shoulders sagged as the realization fully hit him. Oh, did he need her. He didn't know why _her_, exactly, but he knew she could help him. Why had she turned him down? Why hadn't he asked again? Just then, his head jerked up, and he sprinted the rest of the way back to the TARDIS. If he was careful, very very careful, then he might just pull this off.

Retrace the coordinates—there. He pleaded with his ship, begging her in his mind to cooperate and land in the right place. Or rather, the right time. If everything went right, he would land seconds after he had left her...

"By the way, did I mention, it also travels in time?"


End file.
